Abstract

We study magnetization reversal processes of in-plane magnetized (Ga,Mn)As epilayers with different hole concentrations in out-of-plane magnetic fields using magnetotransport measurements. A clear difference in the magnetization process is found in two separate samples with hole concentrations of and as the magnetization rotates from the out-of-plane saturation to the in-plane remanence. Magnetization switching process from the in-plane remanence to the out-of-plane direction, on the other hand, shows no hole concentration dependence, where the switching process occurs via domain wall propagation. We show that the balance of ⟨100⟩ cubic magnetocrystalline anisotropy and uniaxial [110] anisotropy gives an understanding of the difference in the out-of-plane magnetization processes of (Ga,Mn)As epilayers.